Orys Baratheon (GoT)
Lord Orys Baratheon, later known as Orys One-Hand, was the founder of House Baratheon and the bastard half-brother of King Aegon I Targaryen. He was the first Lord of Storm's End after slaying the last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, married his daughter Argella, and became the first Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. In addition, Orys served as the first Hand of the King to his half-brother. Biography Background Orys Baratheon is the founder of House Baratheon and is the distant ancestor of King Robert Baratheon, his brothers Stannis and Renly, and his son Daveth. According to rumors, Orys was allegedly a bastard half-brother to Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys by their father. However, unlike his trueborn half-siblings, Orys had black hair and black eyes. He served as a commander in Aegon's army and rose through the ranks to become one of his fiercest generals and was regarded as Aegon's only true friend. When Aegon launched an invasion to conquer all of Westeros into a single realm, he sent Orys to seize Storm's End, the ancestral seat of the Storm Kings and capital of the Stormlands. Orys defeated the last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, and took not only Storm's End but also his sigil (the crowned black stag) and words ("Ours is the Fury"), as well as his daughter Argella, and his sword, Torment, to cement his rule over the Stormlands. He became the first Lord Paramount of the Stormlands."The Complete Guide to Westeros: House Baratheon" featurette, Season 1 Blu Ray boxset Orys later joined his half-brother King Aegon I Targaryen in the First Dornish War, leading an assault on the Boneway that proved a disaster. The cunning Dornishmen launched a night raid, raining arrows, rocks, and spears from above. The bodies of the invading army blocked the Boneway from both ends, and Orys, along with many of his bannermen and knights, was captured by the Wyl of Wyl, who was also called the Widow-lover. When Aegon eventually agreed to the Dornish ransom demands, Lord Baratheon and his knights and bannermen were ransomed in 7 AC for each man's weight in gold. However, they were freed only after having their sword hands chopped off so they would not be able to use them again against Dorne. Orys became known as Orys One-Hand thereafter. Orys was said to have become crabbed and bitter after that, so he resigned his office as Hand of the King and returned to the Stormlands. He became obsessed with vengeance against the Dornish, especially House Wyl, whose lord had removed his hand. Orys received his opportunity during the reign of Aegon and Rhaenys's son, King Aenys I Targaryen, when a Dornish outlaw known as the Vulture King sent a huge army to reave the lands north of the Red Mountains. Orys, eager for revenge against the Dornish, led his forces against him in the Vulture Hunt. During a battle at Stonehelm, Orys's forces crushed a part of the Vulture King's host and Lord Walter Wyl, the Widow-lover's son, fell into his hands. Orys chopped off Walter's sword hand, then his other hand, followed by both feet, which he called his usury. On his trip home to Storm's End, Orys died of the wounds he had taken in the battle. According to his son, Mychal Baratheon, Orys died content, smiling at the rotten hands and feet dangling in his tent. Season 1 He has an entry in The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. It reveals that Orys married Argella, daughter of Argilac the Arrogant, the last Storm King, and that one of his sons died stopping an assassination attempt against King Aenys Targaryen."A Golden Crown" Personality Known for his prowess in battle and his strong loyalty to King Aegon I and House Targaryen, Orys was described as a fierce warrior. After the loss of his hand in the First Dornish War, he became crabbed and bitter, turning his attention to Dorne and obsessed with the idea of revenge. Quotes Spoken by Orys :"The King's Hand should have a hand. I will not have men speaking of the King's Stump." ―Orys Baratheon, resigning from office as Hand of the King :"Your father took my hand. I claim yours as repayment." ―Orys to Walter Wyl Spoken about Orys :"My shield, my stalwart, my strong right hand." ―Aegon the Conqueror discusses his half-brother Orys Baratheon In the books The World of Ice and Fire reveals that Orys Baratheon was Aegon's closest friend and ally. He served Aegon as the first-ever Hand of the King, as well as the commander of his forces. Aegon offered Orys's hand in marriage to the daughter of the Storm King, Argilac Durrandon, but was rebuffed. Angered at the insult of being offered a bastard instead of a king, Argilac cut off the hands of Aegon's envoys. When Aegon landed his army at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, he led a lightning campaign to secure the surrounding area, taking Rosby, Stokeworth, Duskendale and Maidenpool in short order. Orys led the army while Aegon attacked from the skies. After this victory, Aegon sent Orys and his sister-wife Rhaenys to take Storm's End. Argilac left his castle to give battle in the open, attacking during a torrential thunderstorm to limit the use of Rhaenys's dragon, Meraxes. However, Meraxes instead fought on foot and was still able to inflict carnage on Argilac's forces. Argilac himself was slain by Orys. Orys negotiated the surrender of Storm's End, with Argilac's daughter Argella delivered to him in chains and naked. Orys treated her kindly and later wed her. Orys continued to serve Aegon as Hand of the King until the First Dornish War, during which his hand was cut off by the Wyl of Wyl while in captivity. Orys would afterwards be known as Orys One-Hand and the King's Stump, and after his return to the Aegonfort, resign as Hand of the King due to a sense of lost pride. He was later replaced in the office by a succession of men, including Lord Edmyn Tully, Lord Alton Celtigar, Ser Osmund Strong, and Lord Alyn Stokeworth. Nevertheless, he remained an important figure at the Conqueror's court, standing by Queen Visenya when Princess Deria presented Aegon I with Dorne's terms to end the war between their two realms. Orys outlived the Conqueror and served Aenys I, who succeeded Aegon I upon his death. Orys later died during one of the numerous local rebellions against Aenys I: many lords hoped that with Aegon the Conqueror dead and his weak son on the throne, they might be able to throw off Targaryen rule forever. These rebellions were crushed by Aegon's ruthless younger son, Maegor the Cruel, who succeeded Orys as Hand of the King.Bubonicaon 45 GRRM live-read Archmaester Gyldayn believes Orys to be Aegon's bastard brother with a certainty; in Fire & Blood, Gyldayn writes about Orys and Aegon's brotherhood as fact, and even claims that Orys's grandson Rogar boasted that he was the blood of the dragon.Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin The relationship between Aegon the Conqueror and Orys Baratheon may be loosely inspired by that of the real-world William the Conqueror of Normandy and Odo of Bayeux, who was the Norman conqueror's half-brother (Orys was rumored to be Aegon's half-brother) and vassal, and upon the conquest of England, was made the ruling earl of an important region of England and was his brother's regent and chancellor in that country. See also * Orys Baratheon (MAJOR spoilers from the books) References Category:Articles by MarkRulez711 Category:History Category:House Baratheon Category:House Targaryen Category:Lords Category:Lords of Storm's End Category:Lords Paramount Category:Characters Category:Status: Dead Category:Bastards Category:Hand of the King Category:Nobles Category:Valyrian Category:Characters from the Crownlands Category:Characters from the Stormlands